Constructional element

ABSTRACT

Especially shaped constructional element for the assembly of light partition walls in gardens, parks, recreation grounds, in restaurants, or terraces and other similar sites. The building stone is composed of at least two frusta of cones or pyramides having axes inclined to each other.

O Umted States Patent [15] 3,645,059 Grimm 1 1 Feb. 29, 1972 [54]CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENT 2,891,397 6/1959 Hauer "52/663 X [72] Inventor:Wilhelm Grimm, Robemlmchstrasw 10 3,375,667 4/1968 Hard ..61/37 608fimssfierau-Domhem Germany FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [2211,245,086 7/1967 Germany ..52/D1G. 2

[21] OTHER PUBLICATIONS Mineralogy, J. 1-1. Collins, 1883, 6.1. Putnam s& Sons New [30] Appmm 9 York, N.Y., Pg. 302, CE 365 C6M v2 Feb. 26, 1969Germany ..P 19 09 647.0 Y

' Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham [52] US. Cl ..52/609, 46/24, 52/308,Attorney-Michael S. Striker 52/663, 52/D1G. 2, 61/37 [51] Int. Cl ..E04b2/12 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field i Especially shaped constructional elementfor the assembly of lIght partItIon walls In gardens, parks, recreatIongrounds, In [56] References Cited restaurants, or terraces and othersimilar sites. The building stone is composed of at least two frusta ofcones or pyramides UNITED STATES PATENTS having axes inclined to eachother.

2,766,592 10/1956 Danel et a1 ..61/37 X 10 Claims, 11 Drawing FiguresPatented Feb 29,

ATTORNEY CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates generally to constructional elements useful in theassembly of walls, especially translucent partition walls'and other likestructures. Such partition walls are used to define the boundaries of aplace or room or a part of it without producing a narrowingpsychological effect.

Several types of constructional elements or building stones forpartition walls are already known and used. Anyhow, if such partitionwalls are built in a dusty surrounding ugly dark stripes can often beseen during or after fog or rainyweather when deposited dust has becomewet by fog and rain and is only partly washed away. There is anincreasing tendency to avoid this annoying aspect owing to theincreasing air pollution in many parts of the country.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a specially shapedconstructional element which will overcome the aforementioneddisadvantages of already existing partition walls.

The constructional element resides in a solid geometrical form whichfinds a basic application as a building block. However, as will beapparent to any one skilled in the art, this geometric form may be usedin a wide variety of embodiments and applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a newconstructional element comprising at least two frusta of cones orpyramides having axes inclined to each other and having a common base,partly penetrating each other in a zone adjacent to said common base,each of said frusta having a smaller terminal face parallel to saidbase, said smaller terminal faces being aligned. Conveniently theconstructional element, according to the invention, comprises two frustawhich are mirror images to each other and so oriented that the axes forman acute angle.

Advantageously the smaller tenninal faces of all frusta have the sameshape and are separated in the zone adjacent to said smaller terminalfaces.

In accordance with a further embodiment of my invention, theconstructional element comprises at least three frusta, having axessymmetrically arranged around a main axis being perpendicular to thecommon base and passing the center of said base, the angles formedbetween said axes and said main axis being identical.

According to a further feature of my invention, the constructionalelement comprises a further frustum on that side of the base opposite tothe other frusta with a smaller terminal face of same shape and size asthe smaller terminal faces of the other frusta, all terminal faces beingoriented parallel to said base.

According to a still further feature of my invention the side faces ofsaid further frustum are aligned with the corresponding sides of theother frusta, and the outer common side faces of the frusta have fourouter common side faces which are shaped as plane congruent pentagons.

To facilitate the insertion of glass windows into an assembled partitionwall of constructional elements, according to my invention, each of theupper inner side faces of two minor like frusta are provided with astraight notch, and both notches are arranged in a plane perpendicularto the common base of said frusta.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of a firsttype'of a constructional element according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second type of a constructionalelement according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modification of a constructionalelement of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of. another modification of aconstructional element of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first modification of aconstructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another'modification of a constructionalelement of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further modification of aconstructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. I

' being provided with notches for inserting glass windows;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modification of a constructionalelement of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2 being provided withnotches for inserting glass windows;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a still further modification of aconstructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective partial view of an assembled partition wallusing constructional elements of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a partial view of another type of an assembled partition wallusing constructional elements of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawing identicalreference numerals identify identical elements. Discussing now thedrawing in detail and firstly the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, itwill be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a frustum of a pyramideand reference numeral 2 identifies another frustum of a pyramide, bothfrusta having a common base 3. The axes 4 and 5 of the frusta l and 2respectively are inclined to each other and form an angle of about 60.Each of the frusta l and 2 has an upper terminal face 6 or 7respectively. Both terminal faces 4 and 5 are smaller than base 3 andparallel to it. In a zone adjacent to said common base 3 both frustapenetrate each other as shown by broken lines.

In FIG. 1 the intersecting lines between the two frusta are shown, theone intersecting line facing the viewer is identified by referencenumeral 8, illustrated by an uninterrupted line. The intersecting lineon the back of the constructional element is indicated by a broken line.Both intersecting lines are inclined to base 3 which is in a horizontalposition when used in walls. This inclined position of the intersectinglines has the advantage that dust falling in the region between the twofrusta will not deposite there but glide off or be washed away byflowing of rain drops.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. Theconstructional element comprises two frusta of cones l1 and 12 having acommon circular base 13. The axes l4 and 15 of both frusta form an angleof about 60.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are especially useful forthe assembly of partition walls.

Other embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprise threefrusta of cones or four frusta of cones respectively. These embodimentsare especially useful for columnshaped constructions.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 all intersecting linesbetween the frusta of cones are inclined to the horizontal base 13 sothat deposited dust will not remain there.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 all intersecting linesbetween the frusta of pyramides are inclined to the horizontal base 13so that deposited dust will not remain there.

An assembled wall of constructional elements comprises a plurality ofidentically shaped constructional elements arranged in several lines oneupon another having interstices or blank spaces betweenneighboringfrusta. In some cases it is desirable to insert glass windowsor other translucent materials between said frusta. In this way it ispossible to achieve interesting architectonic and aesthetical effectsespecially if plates of colored translucent material are used.

FIG. 7 illustrates a constructional element, according to the invention.which is provided with straight notches or recesses 16 to facilitate theinsertion of glass windows between neighboring frusta. The glass windowsor sheets of other suitable material can be fixed there by knownadhesives. The recesses 16 are arranged parallel to adjacent edges ofthe frusta.

Whereas FIG. 7 represents a modification of an embodiment according toFIG. 1, FIG. 8 represents an analogous modification of an embodimentaccording to FIG. 2. The notches or recesses 17 are parallel to theadjacent generatrix of the respective cone.

FIG. 9 particularly indicates the combination of three frusta ofpyramides. Two frustra having axes 24 and 25 are composed according toFIG. 1. The third frustum 20 having an axis 21 is situated on that sideof the base which is opposite to the other frusta. The side faces 26 ofsaid third frustum 20 are aligned with the corresponding adjacent sides26" of the other two frusta so that the resulting side faces 26 beingcomposed of faces 26' and 26" are plane congruent pentagons.

Turning to FIG. a part of a partition wall structure is illustrated todemonstrate the utility of the subject invention. A slightly modifiedarrangement of constructional elements according to the invention isillustrated in FIG. 11. The abutting faces of adjacent constructionalelements, especially the terminal faces, are provided with a suitableadhesive to fix the elements within the wall.

The complete element, would, of course, be manufactured as an integralunit by any of the known methods using any known and suitable materials.

Many possible modifications will become apparent from the foregoingwithout departing from the spirit of the present invention. However, theforegoing disclosure is presented in an illustrative sense rather than alimiting sense and the appended claims are relied upon to define thescope of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A structural element comprising at least two integral frustums havingaxes including an acute angle with each other and having bases locatedin a common plane so as to form a common base face, said frustums partlypenetrating each other in the region adjacent said common base face,each of said frustums tapering in a direction away from said common baseface and having spaced from said common base face an end facesubstantially parallel to said common base face.

2. A structural element as defined in claim I, wherein said at least twofrustums are mirror symmetrically arranged with respect to each other.

3. A structural element as defined in claim I, wherein said end facesare located in a common plane substantially parallel to said common baseface.

4. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said structuralelement comprising at least three frustums having axes symmetricallyarranged with respect to a main axis passing through the center of saidcommon base face and substantially normal thereto, the angles betweensaid axes and said main axis being substantially identical.

5. A structural element as defined in claim 1, and including a furtherfrustum projecting from that side of said common base face which isopposite to the side from which the other frustums project, all of theend faces of said frustums having the same size and shape and beingsubstantially parallel to said common base face.

6. A structural element as defined in claim 5, wherein said furtherfrustum forms a stepless continuation of said other frustums.

7. A structural element as defined in claim 6, wherein said frustums arepyramid frustums and having four common side faces which are shaped asplain congruent pentagons.

8. A structural e ement as defined in claim 2, wherein said at least twofrustums intersect each other in a common plane substantially nonnal tosaid common base face and wherein each of said frustums is formed at theouter surface thereof with at least one elongated notch in a commonplane of symmetry substantially normal to said common plane.

9. A structural element as defined in claim I, wherein said frustums arecone frustums.

10. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said frustumsare pyramid frustums.

1. A structural element comprising at least two integral frustums havingaxes including an acute angle with each other and having bases locatedin a common plane so as to form a common base face, said frustums partlypenetrating each other in the region adjacent said common base face,each of said frustums tapering in a direction away from said common baseface and having spaced from said common base face an end facesubstantially parallel to said common base face.
 2. A structural elementas defined in claim 1, wherein said at least two frustums are mirrorsymmetrically arranged with respect to each other.
 3. A structuralelement as defined in claim 1, wherein said end faces are located in acommon plane substantially parallel to said common base face.
 4. Astructural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said structuralelement comprising at least three frustums having axes symmetricallyarranged with respect to a maiN axis passing through the center of saidcommon base face and substantially normal thereto, the angles betweensaid axes and said main axis being substantially identical.
 5. Astructural element as defined in claim 1, and including a furtherfrustum projecting from that side of said common base face which isopposite to the side from which the other frustums project, all of theend faces of said frustums having the same size and shape and beingsubstantially parallel to said common base face.
 6. A structural elementas defined in claim 5, wherein said further frustum forms a steplesscontinuation of said other frustums.
 7. A structural element as definedin claim 6, wherein said frustums are pyramid frustums and having fourcommon side faces which are shaped as plain congruent pentagons.
 8. Astructural element as defined in claim 2, wherein said at least twofrustums intersect each other in a common plane substantially normal tosaid common base face and wherein each of said frustums is formed at theouter surface thereof with at least one elongated notch in a commonplane of symmetry substantially normal to said common plane.
 9. Astructural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said frustums are conefrustums.
 10. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein saidfrustums are pyramid frustums.